Resinous composition



Patented Jan. 7, 1947 BESINOUS COMPOSITION David J. Muir, Walker, Minn.

No Drawing. Application June 22, 1945, Serial No. 601,058

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a resinous composition having rubber-likeproperties.

The invention relates to the production of resins, of the characterdescribed, obtained from the seed sacs of the berries of smilax.

This application is a continuation, in part, of my co-pendingapplication for a resinous composition filed March 27, 1944, underSerial Number 528,339.

A specific example of berries used in the production of the compositionis the berry of the Smilax bond-nor, commonly known as a stretchberry.However, the seed sacs of berries of other species of the genus Smilaxmay be successfully used if they are elastic. These seed sacs arecomposed principally of an elastic membrane which surrounds the seedkernel.

The seed sac is obtained in any practical manner. One method ofseparating the seed sacs from the berries may be carried out by placinga quantity of the berries in a mechanical shaker, or pebble mill,together with a larger quantity of metal balls or pebbles of somewhatgreater diameter than the berries. The machine is then vibrated orrolled until the outer skins of the berries are removed.

The berry parts (seed sacs and kernels) are then screened from the metalballs or pebbles into a container having a screened bottom. The berryparts are rinsed with water to wash away any remaining skins.

The berry part (rinsed seed sacs and kernels) are run through a grinderand ground fine enough to cut the seed sacs enough to allow the kernelsto be unrestricted by the sacs. The mass thus produced should then berinsed with water so as to loosen the berry parts and rinse out thesoluble pulp. The stones or kernels, being heavier than the seed sacs,will settle. The seed sacs and outer skins are floated off to a separatecontainer so that the seed sacs are collected unadulterated by any otherportion of the berry.

The excess water should then be drained off and the moist sacs placed ina shallow con- 2 tainer and covered with benzol. A roller is then runlightly over the seed sacs to force the water out and induce penetrationof benzol into the sacs until a homogeneous, resinous mass is formed bydissolution. The rolling process compacts the mass.

The resinous mass produced as above will be hereinafter referred to assmilax resin.

The ultimate product sought may be obtained by mixing the followingingredients in the proportions stated, to wit:

The abov ingredients are, preferably, combined in the following manner:Twenty-five pounds of the smilax resin is rolled, cool, forapproximately one hour on a mixing mill and the zinc oxide, stearicacid. and Captax are added thereto during the rolling process. Anadditional twenty-five pounds of the smilax resin and the sulphur arethen added and the rolling process is continued for a few minutes,approximately from five to ten minutes. The sheet thus produced is thenvulcanized in a mold for approximately one hour at approximately 260degrees F. and then emersed in Water to cool and is then dried.

The Captax is to accelerate vulcanization. The stearic acid is requiredto actuate the Captax. Zinc oxide increases the tensil strength of thecompound. The use of sulphur in the vulcanization, and its purpose, iswell known.

What is claimed is:

A resinous composition consisting of lbs. of smilax resin, 3 lbs. ofzinc oxide, 0.25 lb. of stearic acid, 0.25 lb. of mercaptobenzothiazole,1.75 lbs. of sulphur, mixed together and vulcanized at 260 degrees F.for sixty minutes in a mold.

DAVID J MUIR.

